Modern motorists are sensitive not only to the technical serviceability of the vehicle, but also to its appearance. Therefore, the exact selection of paint coating when partially replacing body parts or in the presence of chips, scratches and damage to the body is a pressing topic. When faced with the need to repair the body coating, the car owner can avoid gross mistakes and unnecessary costs if he takes into account the nuances and chooses the right method for selecting the color.
Metallic and non-metallic
It should be noted that owners of cars coated with metallic and pearlescent car paint face a serious problem. It is extremely difficult to quickly and at the same time barely visible touch-up of longer scratches.
Therefore, you should be prepared to color and darken most (if not all) of the element. This is, of course, a much more complex procedure than adjusting, for example, single-color acrylic coatings.
- Moreover, cars produced today are covered with very thin coatings (i.e. less than 80 microns), often consisting of even 4 layers.
- Working with such automotive paint is in many cases difficult for professional painters.
Therefore, for hobbyists who want to improve the aesthetic value of their car, it is even more recommended to use the services of paint shops.
Auto enamel of which company to choose
The car market is saturated with a variety of products for various purposes. One of them is enamels, necessary for repairing the bodies of light and heavy vehicles. These compounds are produced by large and small, well-known and not so well-known companies.
The following manufacturers are popular with buyers:
1. Vika
2. DuPont
3. Mobihel
DuPont is the world's largest American company, founded in 1802. It produces chemical products, including high-quality paints and varnishes. The inexpensive line is represented by Duxone auto enamels.
Vika is a brand under which Yaroslavl has been selling paint and varnish materials since 2001.
Mobihel is a leading manufacturer of paints and varnishes in Central Europe. Its facilities are located in Slovenia.
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Selection of car paint
Key information about a car's shade can be found on the nameplate located inside the vehicle or under the hood. It should be remembered that this is also standard paint, which fades after many years of using the car.
- Therefore, the first option is to go to a specialist for mixing, where, using a sampler (and a body element, for example, a fuel filler flap), the correct shade of the original car paint will be selected.
- The second is to buy a serial varnish in a store, and after retouching, polish the entire element. This way the oxidized layer of varnish will be removed and the coating will return to its original appearance.
However, there is no guarantee that this effect will be satisfactory, since the remaining unpolished elements may differ in color from the part of the car body that has been modified.
So, finally, amateur painters will likely be looking forward to a comprehensive car polish. Such treatments can be carried out no more than twice a year. Therefore, if the car requires other paint corrections, it is worth taking them immediately.
What to consider?
There are several ways to select paint for a car. They differ in price and complexity of implementation. Some owners prefer to choose the color by eye. Of course, it is better to solve this problem using a VIN code or special equipment. There is also a special program that will allow you to choose paint for your car online.
In any case, before painting you need to consider some nuances:
- The result of coloring largely depends on the artist who will carry it out. The equipment and materials used are also important. It is worth noting that the use of a color substance in a spray can reduces the quality of the paintwork renewal. This applies to mixed paints.
- The color can be assessed only after the enamel has completely dried. Therefore, there is no need to apply the substance to the entire machine or part. Start by choosing an approximate color and then calibrate it. So, blue can have several shades.
- If a spectrophotometer was used during the selection process, then painting should still be carried out carefully. It is best to start by processing the old part. This will make it possible to evaluate accuracy. After this, you can begin to completely paint the car.
Before choosing paint for your car, you need to take all these features into account. This will ensure the quality of the final result. This also applies to the type of paint, for example, metallic auto enamel has some application features.
Where to look for paint information
On the vehicle information plate. Depending on the brand, it can be located in different places, but most often it is placed under the hood, on the side frame (on the passenger or driver's side). On some brands it is located in the trunk.
It is also worth remembering that the plate indicates the factory color of the car. Thus, if the car's paint has been changed previously, the plate will not provide the necessary information.
Individual approach
A mediocre colorist doesn't go into detail. Given a color sample (for example, a gas filler flap), he uses the existing color matching program to obtain the most suitable shade. In addition to the main paint code, systems offer several varieties of it - the tone is slightly darker or lighter. These are so-called service formulas, which take into account the effect of different barrels at the plant. In reality, this approach is ineffective.
Find out without plate and VIN
You can easily have your car paint checked by a painter who can help you choose the right color. In addition, if the car is metallic or pearl-colored, it is better to contact a professional than to look for it yourself.
Why is it important? Metallic paint, regardless of the angle of light or viewing angle on the car body, should look the same. As for pearl varnish, it should evenly reflect the sun's rays.
Preparing for work
Before work, remove tires, plastic caps and plugs that will interfere with quality painting. Further preparation includes the following steps:
- thoroughly rinse the products from dirt using ordinary household chemicals or special automotive products, as well as a brush with plastic bristles;
- sand the disc to remove minimal chips and scratches (first you can use coarser sandpaper, then fine sandpaper);
- if there are deep chips, use putty;
- degrease the discs with acetone or another solvent;
- wrap the wheel nipples with masking tape if the rims have not been removed;
- You can start priming.
Spectrophotometer
It will help you choose a paint color as close as possible to the original.
- Typically the device is not used for simple touch-ups.
- Most often, the spectrophotometer is used when repairing large car body parts, for example, after accidents.
- In this case, any difference in the color of the car paint is an undesirable phenomenon.
This sensor is applied to the car body to read the current color of the coating, if the new one should be the same. The received data is entered into the computer, and then the mixing process begins to obtain the appropriate color.
Experimental
For a high-quality color selection, a removed gas tank flap is usually sufficient. The colorist can freely view it from different angles in all kinds of lighting. By the way, the example of the hatch clearly shows the current trend: saving on paint. An uneven and thin layer, in some places the soil even glows - even premium brands have begun to sin with this. Ideally, this economical application should be repeated by the painter so that the painted part stands out less. And it is very important to use the appropriate primer.
If the car has already been painted, it is advisable to select the color throughout the body, and not separately for the hatch. After all, there is always a certain difference in body parts with factory paint and repair paint. Therefore, it is important to choose a certain middle tone so as not to aggravate the differences in shades and hide color transitions.
Features of solid car paint
To paint a car perfectly, sometimes it is necessary to apply several layers to the entire body or individual parts to achieve the optimal effect. All layers must be applied with suitable tools and in the specified sequence.
Automotive paints also include film formers. They differ mainly from paints in that they are much more fluid, dry faster and thus achieve proper appearance and durability in a relatively short time.
The available range of coatings can be divided into three types:
- Base layer. This preparation of the surface for subsequent coatings fills any uneven areas and corrects imperfections. It fits well to the car body and provides good adhesion to the next layer.
- Primer. This is the car paint itself, which is sometimes called the paint coat. The pigments it contains determine the color of the vehicle. Depending on the manufacturer's recommendations, one application may be sufficient, but in some cases, for example, two sprays are required.
- Colorless coating. Gives the final effect and protects against the harmful effects of external factors. When chosen correctly, it additionally prevents the adhesion of dirt, tarnishing and other negative consequences of use.
The legal side of the issue when changing the color of a car
In the case when a car owner wants to radically change the color of the car, mandatory re-registration of the vehicle is also required. The color of a car is an important identifying characteristic, and the owner of the repainted car is given five days to make changes. When meeting with the inspector, you can say that the car was repainted two days ago. It should be noted that if an administrative offense is nevertheless recorded, re-registration of the vehicle data is still required.
In case of a radical change in the color of the car, mandatory re-registration of the car is required
The presence of decorative elements such as airbrushing or small patterns on the body does not require mandatory re-registration in the legal aspect, but only on the condition that the main color of the car remains unchanged.
Differences between quality paint
When choosing paint, you should also pay attention to whether it meets technical standards for changing weather conditions.
A professional manufacturer of automotive paints is guided by another factor, namely, concern for the environment.
When purchasing paint, the right step is to consider whether it is environmentally friendly.
Common mistakes
A typical mistake made when painting a car body is to neglect the car's specifications.
Searching for the desired color “by eye” only leads to approximate results; as a result, the shade of the painted body may not satisfy the car owner. Accuracy is increased thanks to technological solutions - a spectrophotometer , special software for finding the desired shade.
Yellow and red auto enamel and pearlescent paintwork materials are applied to the base (primer), on which the final shade depends. If you do not take into account the features of the lining (it can be white, gray, black), and also incorrectly estimate the number of layers of the applied composition, the result will be very different from the original.
Two-layer compositions must be applied so that each layer is an independent unit. If the first and second layers were applied in one go, the final color will not be the same as if the second layer was applied in two steps. Neglecting this fact leads to discrepancies.
Error when choosing bumper shade
